Hotel Of The Week: The Club, Goa, India

Go upmarket in Goa – beach life with butler service

Our trip out to the Leela took us through some of Goa's most idyllic scenery. Serene villages of grand colonial-style casas and whitewashed Portuguese churches bedecked with fairy lights flicked past. At the Leela's grand gates our repose stopped abruptly. This pristine resort of trimmed grass and low-slung pink buildings was more reminiscent of Marrakesh than Mobor, the peninsula which it dominates. Marigold garlands were thrown round our necks as we were ushered speedily into a golf cart by our personal butler, Neville, who pointed out the facilities. It was all a bit overwhelming. Happily, we were headed for The Club, an exclusive enclave set away from the main resort.

The bedroom

The look of The Club's single-storey villas is five-star Asian generic: lots of cream marble, stylish dark wood furniture, low lighting, DVD player and a Bose sound system. The bedroom, with its sliding doors, could be closed off from the spacious sitting room; the bathroom had two showers – one of them open to the skies.

Food and drink

There are four restaurants on site. We ate at Jamavar, the signature Indian eatery with a rather grand setting. Surrounded by carved screens and antique Jamavar shawls, we dined on intricately spiced curries – a sweet and fiery Goan prawn curry and a rich rogan josh.

Access

Children are welcome, but pets are not. Two rooms are modified for guests with disabilities.

The bill

Suites at The Club start at $456 (£230) per night, including breakfast, minibar, afternoon tea, refreshments, cocktails, laundry, butler and airport transfers.

The address

The Club at The Leela, Cavelossim, Mobor, Salcette, Goa, India (00 91 832 287 1234; www.theleela.com).